I just saw the funniest 'search terms' that lead someone to this blog in a long time. I honestly cracked up!
They came from FORBA and the term they had googled was:
drum roll....
"adventure dental employee benefits" |
"adventure dental employee benefits" |
Posted: Sunday, March 28, 2010 12:00 amBy SANDY STEIN | THE PUEBO CHIEFTAIN | 0 commentsCustom touches create stellar socials with foreign flair for large and intimate gatherings.
"Our Story: The Italian American" themed the 11th annual Sons of Italy's early-March annual gala at the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center's Jackson Ballroom. Nearly 400 supporters raised $2,000 for student scholarships at the event, which starred comedian Sebastian Maniscalco and was co-chaired by Gino Carleo and Al Spinuzzi.
Accordion players Margie and Mike Aman entertained Denverite Bob Taylor, Dorsey and Louie Carleo, Gina and John Panepinto, Michael Salardino, Fran and Ed Posa and Sandie and John Obrin, among others, during the cocktail hour preceding the serving of the traditional-style family menu. The meal featured antipasto, Italian salad, pasta with meatballs, sausage, roasted pork and pancetta. White-and-black-clothed tables were styled with Italian and American flags atop gold posts in centerpiece baskets filled with cheese, bread, grapes and garlic.
Personalized labels on wine jugs also decorated the table tops, denoting scholarship memorials with photos of donors and posthumous scholarship honorees. Framed photos of the donors and recipients were gifts to each scholarship winner.
The 19 students, who were honored with $750 academic scholarships and gift baskets of restaurant certificates and entertainment passes, arrived onstage accompanied by video presentations of their accomplishments. The organization has awarded more than $125,000 in scholarships at the galas, which also include a surprise presentation for the Italian Citizen of the Year. [wonder who that was, or was the author trying to tell us that John Carochi got the award and was also given a plaque...I dunno]
John Carochi, state Sons of Italy Grand Lodge president, was given a plaque for his local, state and national leadership to promote Italian culture. A film reviewing Italian courage, pride, loyalty and professional successes was followed by Rich Foresta's humorous Italian language presentation, incorporating New York idioms and slang.
Maniscalco, who has performed in a variety of venues — from the Las Vegas Palms Casino to Jay Leno's "Tonight Show" — was absolutely hilarious with his quick-witted comments playing off audience localites Mike Occhiato, Barbara Fortino, Diana and Greg Armstrong, Dan DeRose, Sonny LeMaster and others. His ethnic humor hit home with Vivian and Frank Sagona, Jim and Ben Bacino, Tony Ianne, Amie and David Gohn and even the few non-Italian supporters. [I bet it did, he probably didn't realize how close to the truth he really was!]
Alice and Ori Birch, Joe Prutch, Anthony Andenucio, Tom and Nick Rusler, J.J. Patti and Jan and Ralph Williams were some of the high bidders for the 50 silent-auction items, which included an antique slot machine, autographed sports paraphernalia and books, jewelry, artwork, baskets and more. Actually, everyone there felt like a winner with the fine food, top entertainment and outstanding student recipients.
TRISH AND SCOTT SMILEY, Wynona and Wally Sullivan and Linda and Ray Kogovsek bid up the foundation dinner with honoree Judy Fonda for the silent-auction item at the annual Parkview Starlight Gala. Sharon and Keith Swerdfeger donated their exquisite Pueblo West home as the venue and Chartwell's donated the five-course Asian meal with an American twist.
The dinner took place on the same evening as the Sons of Italy fundraiser. The black-clothed long table was accented with bronze metal napkin rings holding the black linen napkins and bronze chargers under the ivory plates.
The centerpieces featured an octet of ivory square candles in a long, narrow bronze holder flanked with a duo of round ivory rose and calla lily arrangements, highlighted with bronze leaves.
Partyers, including Judy's husband Roger, enjoyed fruit and cheeses before the seated dinner that began with pea shoots, cucumbers and carrots wrapped in phyllo with lemon vinaigrette. The carrot ginger soup shooters were accompanied by Asian tofu croutons followed by black-and-white sesame-crusted halibut over shredded radicchio.
The nouveau cuisine, served on small plates, continued with a serving of hoisin grilled beef tenderloin and sushi tuna with eggplant batons. Dessert sushi with cookie chopsticks and sweet caviar served as the grand finale for the special evening of dining to start off the month for the generous group of folks.
About Us
Small Smiles / Children's Dental centers are managed by a family owned company. Our operating philosophy is modeled after our founder’s dental practice, which was established in 1965 in Pueblo, Colorado. We identify, develop and manage our practices with the mission to provide premium dental care to patients starting with their first tooth to 21 years of age. We strive to improve access for patients on Medicaid and the State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
Please be sure to click on the link to the left to review all of the opportunities we have available with Children's Dental in addition to Small Smiles.
They didn't mention that Dr. Mohammad Reza Akbar doesn't even live in Kansas!"It is not uncommon for doctors and dentists to hire or outsource various professional and specialized services, including advertising, computer technical support, legal advice, and even human resource specialists to assist them in managing their practices. For example, the Kansas Medical Society created a practice management firm to provide a broad range of office management services to physician practices around the state. Such services are provided under a management services agreement, include a variety of services and are done for a negotiated fee, much like our agreement with Dr. Reza."
Posted: Mar 12, 2010 4:18 PM CST
Updated: Mar 13, 2010 2:10 PM CST
Featured Video
Enlarge this pictureTulsa Dentist Dr. William Letcher will face charges at the State Dental Board on Friday.
Enlarge this pictureThe dentist, who also got in trouble with the board in 1995 and 2000, is accused of using his patients' drugs himself among other things.
Enlarge this pictureDr. Letcher's attorney says the accusations come from a disgruntled former employee.By Lori Fullbright, The News On 6
TULSA, OK -- A Tulsa dentist is being accused of being a drug addict, using patients as guinea pigs and performing procedures without permits. The State Board of Dentistry has called an emergency hearing to hear the case against Dr. William Letcher next week.
It's not the first time Dr. Letcher has been in trouble. In 1995, the board put him on two-year probation after he admitted he failed to keep track of a large number of controlled drugs, like hydrocodone and valium.
In 2000, his license was suspended for a year, and he got another four years probation. That time he was ordered to get treatment for alcohol addiction, admitted giving controlled drugs to family members and performing procedures prohibited by the state.
This time, the accusations call him negligent, incompetent and a menace to public health.
Dr. Bill Letcher has had a dental license in Oklahoma since 1976. The latest allegations cover the past year and accuse him of being addicted to drugs and using his practice to divert controlled drugs from his patients for his own personal use.
It says patients have called after surgery, saying medication is missing from their bottle.
Another allegation is that Dr. Letcher has mixed morphine and septocaine to see if the combination of pain killers works better than morphine alone, but not telling patients he's doing it - essentially making them test subjects.
Another claim is that while he's allowed to administer conscious sedation, he lets patients become unconscious - which he's not authorized to do - then leaves them alone in the room with a dental assistant.
They say he's dispensing drugs without a permit and lies when he tells patients a resin appliance is better than porcelain ones and that his patented process is superior to traditional methods.
Dr. Letcher's attorney says they just recently received the petition, and the majority of the allegations are based on statements from a disgruntled former employee. He says the doctor will answer the board's questions directly and honestly.
At next Friday's hearing, people can testify, and Dr. Letcher can respond.
The state board could find there's no truth to the claims or find there is and take action on Letcher's license. The News On 6 will report on the outcome.
DENVER — The Senate on Tuesday granted final approval to a bill that makes it easier for professionals in certain regulated fields to practice their occupations in Colorado after moving from another state.
State Sen. Abel Tapia, D-Pueblo, sponsored HB1175 in the Senate. Rep. Marsha Looper, R-Colorado Springs, was the House sponsor. Tapia said it's aimed to help military families transition to the state.
The bill calls for streamlined processes for licensing chiropractors, dentists, dental hygienists, optometrists, nursing home administrators and physical therapists in Colorado when they move from other states.
"It was really a military-driven bill," Tapia said. "It's for people coming to Fort Carson and their spouses. For years people have been assigned there, and their spouses had to work six months or a year toward a certificate or a license. In some cases, these are people who've been competent professionals for 20 years before they came to Colorado."
Tapia said the Department of Regulatory Agencies, which grants credentials in the fields named in the bill, is agreeable to abbreviated processes for issuing certificates and licenses for new residents to the state.
Depending on the experience the new residents bring with them, they could be issued certificates or licenses to practice in Colorado based on interviews, testing or truncated periods of work in their field here.
In committee hearings on the bill, lawmakers heard from witnesses who said strict licensing requirements for professionals can sometimes separate military families, when a spouse doesn't want to leave their field or take a professional step backward.Tapia said he hopes this bill will rectify that.
"A lot of families coming to Fort Carson, and some of them to Pueblo, will have a much easier transition because of this."
Having earlier been passed by the House and by the Senate on Tuesday, the bill is awaiting the governor's signature to become law.
“Small Smiles has no policy that prohibits parents in the treatment area. Allowing a parent in the treatment area is up to the treating dentist in collaboration with the parents based on their belief of the best way to treat the child. Such a family-friendly policy encourages our dentists to allow parents in the treatment area to be part of the patient's treatment experience.”(choke and gag) Even though a memo entitled Tips From Others In The Field had been issued on October 12, 2007 by Lisa Mullinix (3 weeks earlier) stating the following:
Unsure how to tell parents we do not want them in the back, here are some suggestions from others:
"For your child's safety and your safety, we do no allow parents in the Hygiene and OP room. We want your child to focus on the dentist, hygienist, and assistants directions."
You can also go on to say:
"We promise to come and get you if your child needs you."
You also can continue to say the following:or what about the bottom part of page 4 of the Small Smiles Dental Clinic Manual!
"Usually when parents are in the room with their children, they tend to cry and get upset and look at you to save them. That usually places you in a difficult position because your child won't understand why you are not taking them away. We have found that when they are alone they focus better and normally don't cry." (larger view of memo)
“has no reason to believe services were needed that actually were not” and that they take seriously ANY allegations which calls into question our commitment to deliver quality care. That is why we are taking such extraordinary steps to share with you our values, our commitments and to do so in as transparent a way as possible”(choke and gag) I guess the 10,000 reports phoned into that ‘not line’ didn’t raise any red flags worth looking into, did they? This so called ‘hot line’ is nothing more than a ‘gotta cover our ass fast’ line. As a parent, the only phone call you need to make is to any attorney, ASAP.
See Statement from Michael Lindley here.
Pursuant to Section 17a-101 of the Connecticut General Statutes, certain health professionals regulated by the Department of Public Health are mandated to report suspected child abuse or neglect to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline or a law enforcement agency.Reports must be made within twelve hours of the moment the practitioner suspects the abuse/neglect has occurred. Suspected child maltreatment of any kind, regardless of the identity of the alleged perpetrator must be reported. The Hotline can answer questions regarding these laws.
Team 4 Investigates Small Smiles Dental Clinic
Paul Van Osdol Reports
POSTED: 6:07 pm EST March 11, 2010
UPDATED: 10:07 am EST March 12, 2010
PITTSBURGH -- Imagine being told your young child has seven cavities -- but when you get a second opinion, you find out he really has none.
Team 4 investigative reporter Paul Van Osdol digs into some questionable practices. The following is a transcript of his report that first aired March 11, 2010, on WTAE Channel 4 Action News at 5 p.m.
The Pittsburgh clinic where this allegedly occurred is called Small Smiles -- part of a national chain that specializes in treating children on Medicaid.
The Tennessee company that manages the clinic and almost 70 others across the country recently paid a multi-million dollar settlement after being accused of billing taxpayers for unnecessary procedures -- even root canals -- on children.Talisha Taylor got a surprise when she took her 6-year-old son, Royce, to the Small Smiles Dental Clinic in East Liberty last June.
She was told that he had seven cavities that should be filled, but she could not be in the room with Royce when he was getting his fillings.Talisha Taylor: "I was just thinking, 'Why wouldn't you want me to go in the back with my 6-year-old son?' He's not a grown man. He's 6."Washington, D.C. -- This is video inside a different Small Smiles clinic -- a 4-year-old boy being restrained. Taylor found videos like this one online and immediately got a second opinion about Royce from another dentist.The new dentist told her he did not have seven cavities. In fact, he didn't have any that needed to be filled.Van osdol: "And what was your reaction to that?"Taylor: "Crazy. I could not believe. I was completely livid."Dr. Brian Martin is the chief dentist at Children's Hospital.Martin: "That is a significant discrepancy."Team 4 tried to talk to Dr. Michelle Hershberger, because records show she's the Small Smiles dentist who evaluated Royce. But she did not return our calls, and a spokesman for Forba Holdings -- the company that manages Small Smiles -- said he would speak for her.
The Forba spokesman said, "Our review indicates that the treatment recommended was appropriate, given Royce's level of evident tooth decay."Forba also said it "clarified" its policy, so now parents are allowed to stay with children during procedures.In January, Forba agreed to pay a $24 million settlement after the Justice Department accused the company of billing various state Medicaid programs for "medically unnecessary dental services," including fillings, crowns and baby root canals.Tony West, Assistant Attorney General: "We have zero tolerance for those who break the law to exploit children in need."He was speaking in Washington, but Team 4 wanted to dig deeper into the clinic itself in East Liberty.
The lead dentist here at Small Smiles is Dr. Mark Toncini. Team 4 has learned his license has been fined or suspended multiple times by the state dental board. In fact, he got off probation only four months before Small Smiles of East Liberty was incorporated and Toncini was listed as a corporate officer.At various times from 2002 to 2007, Toncini was penalized for writing prescriptions with "no documentation" that they were needed, failing to provide patients copies of their records and practicing dentistry without a license.
Van Osdol: "Dr. Toncini? Paul Van Osdol from Channel 4." Team 4 tried to ask Toncini about Small Smiles and his disciplinary history.
Van Osdol: "Should patients be concerned because you were under suspension?:Toncini: "Let me get you a phone number."
But when Toncini returned, he did not have a phone number. In fact, he wasn't talking at all to us.Talisha Taylor says she's happy she never went back to Small Smiles.
Taylor: "I feel like we just missed a bus."She says she has filed a complaint against Small Smiles with the state dental board.
A spokesman for Forba -- which manages Small Smiles -- tells me the clinics meet the highest ethical and quality standards.As for restraints, Forba says they are used rarely and in compliance with national pediatric dentistry guidelines.Team 4 doesn't have any specific information that links Dr. Toncini to the government allegations against Forba.
Here's a raving article in the Toledo Blade when Small Smiles opened there.
Here's a great quote from the article:
“There must be a huge pent-up need here,” said Todd Cruse, a top executive overseeing the office’s opening. “I’ve opened 26 clinics like this, and this one looks to be on track to have the most appointments taken.”
The new office, 1520 Broadway, which opened yesterday, is the 42nd dental clinic opened since 2000 by the Colorado-based FORBA Management Co.
“There’s plenty of business. I don’t regard them as competition at all really,” said Dr. Paul Heinrichs, a dentist and board chairman of the nonprofit Dental Center of Northwest Ohio. “There are 60,000 Medicaid-eligible people in our area, and we’re seeing maybe about 20,000 of them, so there’s really a huge pool.”
In addition, this month the dental center added a state-of-the-art mobile dental clinic in a 40-foot bus that will be used to provide dental care throughout the region.
The primary reason the dental center has been able to expand — and why the Small Smiles clinic decided to set up shop in Toledo — is few private dentists are willing to accept Medicaid patients, said Dr. Mark Siegal, chief of the bureau of oral health services for the Ohio Department of Health.
So why would Small Smiles want to tackle such a challenge? After all, unlike the Dental Center of Northwest Ohio, Small Smiles is a for-profit operation, meaning its owner expects to make money. To borrow a phrase, treating Medicaid children is all they do, and they do it well, said Mr. Cruse, chief development officer for FORBA.
For example, the six-chair setup for cleanings means they can get by on volume, he said. In addition, by having many exam rooms, a parent can bring all their children in at once for treatment, reducing the need for repeat trips, he said.
Dr. Supreeth Veeranna, lead dentist for Small Smiles, said he hopes the five-dentist clinic will be able to handle 100 patients daily.
Dr. Heinrichs said the fact that Small Smiles is for-profit doesn’t bother him. After all, his own private dental office is for-profit.
Mr. Cruse declined to provide revenue or profit figures for FORBA. Small Smiles was built in a vacant CVS pharmacy building. The building is being leased by Dr. Rudy Padula, a Colorado dentist on the FORBA board. FORBA manages the clinic.Duh! Of course he didn't. But he sure made it clear they would make money by volume and in any kind of medical practice, volume for profit is never a good thing!
These are numbers that require more sedation than simple Novocaine. Perhaps a large dose of Nitrous Oxide? No, that is laughing gas and this is no laughing matter. Moriarty Leyendecker and team are preparing to administer a painful dose of reality to FORBA, without medication.(and to think, FORBA thought I was a bad dose of medicine...lol)
Moriarty Leyendecker Law Firm has begun assembling its legal team to take action against Small Smiles on behalf of the children subjected to Small Smile's torturous practices. Moriarty Leyendecker is challenging the definition of quality care and compassionate caregivers, as identified on FORBA's web site: "This year, hundreds of thousands of children in underserved and low-income communities nationwide will receive quality care from the compassionate caregivers at our associated dental centers."
For the sake of the children, Moriarty Leyendecker is taking steps to ensure that no child will endure Small Smile's substandard compassion in the future.
These stories are like oil slicks on a clear blue pond. Children so upset they vomit during procedures. Radios played loud enough to cover up the screams. Bewildered parents, who are not allowed to accompany the child during the treatments, discover their child with a mouthful of silver crowns instead of a simple filing. Lifelong anxiety towards dentists and doctors for children and parents are a result.
Legal attention by the firm of Moriarty Leyendecker will begin a cleansing process for this oily and slick operation. It is time to cap that investment reservoir and protect our children.